Method and device for interconnecting battery cells



METHOD AND DEVICE FOR INTERCONNECTING BATTERY CELLS Jan. 19, 1954 s. HOYNEs 2,666,800

Filed Aug. 8, 1952 v DA GFIN 5. HPYNES WW WW Patented Jan. 19, 1954 METHOD AND DEVICE FOR INTERCONNECT- ING BATTERY CELLS Dagfin S. Hoynes, Silver Spring, Md. Application August 8, 1952, Serial No. 303,453

Claims. (01. 136-1 Y (Granted under 1 The invention described'herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Gover'nmentof the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

The present invention relates generally to batteries and specifically to a means for connecting in series dry cell batteries of the mercuric type.

Due to corrosive effects of gases escaping from dry cells, common methods now in use for connecting a group of dry cells together are inefficient and cause the cells to either deteriorate quickly or to deliver less than their rated power. Such methods now in use include stacking of the cells under pressure of springs to assure contact of the opposite terminals of adjacent cells, or by welding the terminals to metal strips. Spot welding of a metal strip to a completed cell frequently damages the cell by the heat of the welding operation, and the strips are subject to cor-- sively made and easily applied means for joining the pole of one cell to the pole of the other.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the annexed-draw' ings which illustrate preferred embodiments and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view in elevation of two cells connected by one embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an isometric plan view of the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a view in partial section showing a second embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a view partly in section of a third embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a top view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 5;

eral views, Figs. 1 and 2 show one embodiment of sec.

Title 35; U'. s. Code (1952),

. 2 the invention joining two dry cells Ii] and Ii of the mercuric oxide type which have a gen erally cylindrical form, having a case I2 and a cap I3 electrically separated by an insulating ring I4. Case I2 has a rolled shoulder I5 near its upper edge. The invention as embodied in these two views and in Fig. 3 comprises a ring 20 of metal vide electrical contact between the cap I3 and case I2 of adjacent cells II and I0 respectively,

the slots I6 and I1 allowing sufiicient expansion of ring 20 to permit a snug engagement, ring 20 preferably being constructed of resilient metal.

In Fig. 4, anotherrembodiment of the invention is shown in section midway between cells It and II and. is in the form of a cup 2| spot welded at 22 to the cap I3 of the cell. Preferably the cup 2! and cap I3 are spot-welded together before packing of the cell with its active ingredient. Cup 2! may also be provided with slots as at 23 to permit using resilient metal for the cup.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 5 is applicable for cells which have a protruding electrode 25 extending from the cap 26, and the cup 3I in this embodiment is provided with an H-slot 32 in its bottom, the slot edges 33 bent upwardly to receive the electrode 25. Cup 3I may also be slotted as at 34.

In Fig. 7 a further embodiment takes the form of a spring 39 to engage the case I2 and cap I3 of the cells l0 and II respectively, providing an adequate electrical connection therebetween and allowing some flexibility to a stack of assembled cells. 7

The embodiment of Fig. 8 is a stamped metal clamp 40 having upwardly extending lugs 4| and downwardly extending lugs 42 for similar engagement with the case I2 and the cap I3 of adjacent cells, the lugs being sufficiently resilient to provide the necessary gripping action.

Various modifications are contemplated and may obviously be resorted to by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, as hereinafter defined by the appended claims, as only preferred embodimerits thereof have been disclosed.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the character described, means for electrically and mechanically joining together a tandem or longitudinally stacked pair of dry cells each having case and cap terminals comprising a substantially cylindrical metallic member having substantially the same diameter at its upper and lower ends, means on the upper end of said member to encompass and firmly grip in electrical contact the case terminal of the upper of saidpaiixof cells, and rmeansron the lower end of said member'engageable with 'the 'cap terminal of the lower of said pair of cells.

2. The device as set forth claim 1 in which said member is constructed of resilient material and has downwardly extending slots :cut its upper end to provide for slight expansionover-the case terminal of the upper one of the-pair ,ofecells.

3. The device as set forth in claim 2 in which the lower end of said member -hasa *surface coplanar with the surface of the cap terminalof the lower one of the pair of cells.

4. The device as set forthrincc'laimz3 inwhich the lower end of said member is slotted to receive References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS :Numher Name Date 1,464,573 Heise et al Aug. 14, 1923 2;'116-,0'9l Williams May 3, 1938 2,117,592 Lange May 17, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 494;"929 "Germany Mar. 31, 1930 

